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2 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J EFFERY.

RING

BED.

(No Model;)

I Patented Apr. 22,1890;

INVENTOR:

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Attorney.

(No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 2..

D. H. JEFPERY. I

SPRING BED.

No. 426,022. Patented Apr. 22. 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID H. J EFFERY, OF YORK, N. Y.

s P R N e B E D.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 426,022, dated April 22, 189i Application filed November 7, 1889. Serial No. 329,511. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID H. JEFFERY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvement in Spring-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to that class of spring structures of which the ordinary spring bed or mattress is a familiar example; and the object of my invention is, in the main, to provide asimple and inexpensive means of connecting together the assembled springs forming the bed or other structure and uniting them in such a manner that the completed structure shall be sufficiently rigid to preserve its proper form or shape.

In carrying out my invention I employ but three instrumentalitiesnamely, the springs, slender spiral coils of wire, and locking rods or wires. The springs maybe of the ordinary hour-glass pattern so commonly employed in beds and upholstered goods. The spiral coils may be similar to those forming the elements of the common woven-wire fabric, and the locking-rods may be of stout wire of suitable size and thickness.

In the accompanying drawings I have show my invention embodied in a spring-bed.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the bed, and Fig.

2 is a fragmentary end view of the same;

Figs. 2 and 2 are fragmentary detail views, on a large scale, illustrating the mode of looking together or interlocking the connecting spiral coils and the springs through the medium of the locking-rods. 3 is a plan view of a spring structure illustrating a slightly-differentarrangement of the elementary features, but embodying the same form of look as that shown in Figs. 2 and 2 Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the top of a hinged or book-fold bed constructed according to my invention. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view, and Fig. 4. is aview illustrating the construction of the bottom of the bed.

Referring primarily to the principal fignres, a cl, represent hour-glass springs of substantially the same form as those commonly employed in beds. These springs have U- shaped loops a a, formed in their end coils or rings by bending outward the wire of the ring, as clearly shown.

b b are spiral coils of wire, which may be of the same variety as that commonly employed for woven-wire fabric, and may, indeed, be made on the machines employed in the manufacture of that fabric.

0 c are the locking-rods, which may be made from Wire of suitable size, that for a springbed being preferably about No. 13. The rod 0 forms the marginal frame or border of the bed, and the rods 0' the straight intermediates which tie the springs together.

The manner of forming the lock is illustrated best in the plan, Fig. 2, and the edge view, Fig. 2 The loop a, formed on the end ring of the spring, is pushed laterally into the spiral coil 1) in such a manner that the two interlock, the wires which form the sides of the loop embracing the wire forming a turn or whirl of the coil, and the locking-rod c is passed longitudinally through the spiral coil back of or behind said loop-that is, between said loop and the included whirl of the coil 1). This construction locks the spring and coil firmly together and makes it impossible to separate them without either cutting the wire or withdrawing the rod.

In forming the lock the loop on the spring will enter laterally into the spiral coil, as stated, between its whirls, and it must be pushed in far enough for the locking-rod to pass behind or back of it, so that said loop cannot be withdrawn. 'The loop cannot be pushed through because of the spiral form of the ,coil.

All of the connections between the springs and spiral'coils are formed in the manner above described; but in a bed or like structure the springs and spiral coils may be assembled or arranged in various ways. In Figs. 1 and 2 one convenient arrangement is illustrated. The springs therein are in rows in alternate order, the marginal springs being locked to the continuous marginal or border coil 1) by the marginal rod 0, which forms the frame about the bed; and the adjacent rows of springs are united and locked to the parallel intermediate coils b by the intermediate locking-rods c. The two ends of the rod 0, which forms the marginal frame, may be secured together in any manner desired; but I prefer to employ the construction seen in Fig. lthat is to sa surplus portions of rod 0 overlap one another at the point :13, and the extremities c 0 thereof are bent inward at right angles and tucked into the parallel intermediate spiral coils. In Fig. 1 the overlapping portions of the rod 0 at x overlie one another, so that only the upper one is seen; but the construction will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The ends of the spiral border coil 12 may be secured in any mannerfor example, by twisting the extremities of the wire tightly about the rod 0 with pliers.

The ends of the parallel intermediate spiral coils will be secured to the marginal rod 0 bytwisting the wires of the coils about said rod, and the extremities of the intermediate straight locking-rods 0 will be bent around said marginal locking-rod 0. These latter are simple and common methods of attaching wires together; but the ends of the spiral coils and rods may be secured in any known manner.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a bed in which hourglass springs are used, and they also show a bed which presents the same construction and appearance on both faces, either of which may be turned uppermost; but this doublefaced construction is not essential to my invention, nor is it essential that the springs should be of the hour-glass pattern-that is to say, the springs may be of the common cone form, with their smaller ends or bases secured to slats in a way too well known to require description.

The bed shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is of the kind known as reversible.

It is not necessary in carrying out my invention to form the loops to on the end rings of the springs, as the coils may be locked thereto without such loops. For example, Fig. 3 shows a fragment of a bed or spring structure in which the spiral coils b, that unite or connect the springs a, cross the tops of the latter, intersecting each other at the axes of the springs. The locking rods 0 pass through the coils b longitudinally, of course, in the same manner as in the construction heretofore described. In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the wire forming the end ring of the spring a crosses the spiral coils b at right angles and is pushed laterally into said coils between adjacent whirls thereof,

' the two intersecting spiral coils engaging one another in a similar manner. The lockingrods 0 are then passed through the spiral coils, as before described, between the included whirls of the coil and the wire of the endring of the spring. This looks all the parts firmly together. The marginal rod 0* is not in this construction a locking-rod, and it may or may not be embraced by or housed by a spiral coil. The rods d d are merely for the purpose of imparting rigidity and filling the spaces between the springs.

My invention may be applied to any spring structure having a connected assemblage of springs, Whether it be for abed, sofa, lounge,

or other article, and the springs may be assembled in any of the known ways employed in such structures. The spiral coils b and the locking-rods 0 need not cross the bed in planes parallel with the sides or ends, as herein shown, but may cross obliquely thereto, if desired. The border coil 1) and the marginal rod 0, one or both, may be of greater diameter than the respective coils Z) and rods 0. This may be desirable in order to impart more stiffness and durability to the structure.

The bed shown in Fig. 1 is not adapted to be rolled or folded up but it is desirable, in order to meet the tastes of some, to provide a bed in two sections, hinged together and adapted to fold the one on the other. These are termed book-fold beds. I11 Figs. 4, at, and 4: I have shown my invention as adapted to this kind of bed. I have broken away the middle portion of the bed in Figs. 1 and 4" in order to economize space, and I have also shown a less number of springs than will usually be employed in order to avoid repetltion.

The hinge is constructed in the manner following: The upper marginal rods 0 of the sections of the bed illustrated in these views have their free extremities c bent inward to form hinging-pins, and these bent extremities are embraced by a spiral wire coil 0', the ends of which are secured to one of said marginal rods. Through this coil extends a locking-rod c, the ends of which. are secured to the marginal rod of the other section of the bed. This construction forms hinges on which the sections of the bed turn when folded up. At the bottom or under side of the bed the sections are not connected together. The construction preferred is shown in Fig. 4". lower border rods 0 are turned in, the same as above described; but there are two spiral coils b and two locking-rods 0, one extending through each coil. Practically speaking, these locking-rodeo form extensions of the lower marginal rods at the adjacent edges of the bed-sections, and the extremities of the lower marginal rods are tucked into their respective coils in order to house them and get them out of the way. This construction, as well as that shown in Fig. 1 at :23, serves to add to the stiffness or rigidity of the spring structure.

The particular arrangement of the springs shown in Figs. 4 and at may be departed from, if desired. Springs have been arranged in every imaginable position in these structures, both in regular and irregular order, and I do not limit myself in this respect.

I am well aware thatthe engagement of the end rings of the springs of a bed with spiral coils of woven-wire fabric is not broadly new, and this I do not claim. My object is to connect springs by single or individual coils and to lock the springs to the coils by rods extending longitudinally through these con tinuous connecting-coils.

The extremities of the Having thus described my invention, I clai1n 1. A spring-bed or like spring structure having the end rings of two or more of its springs connected together by a continuous spiral coil of Wire and a locking-rod, said end rings-looping over and embracing one or more whirls of the spiral coil, and the said rod extending longitudinally through the coil between the engaged end rings of the springs and the embraced whirl or whirls of the said coil, substantially as set forth.

2. In a spring-bed or like spring structure having an assemblage of springs, the combination, with two or more of said springs having laterally-projecting loops a formed on their end rings, of acontinuous spiral coil of wire engaging said loops at, and a rod which looks the loops to the coil, each loop a looping over and embracing one or more whirls of the spiral coil, and the said rod extending longitudinally through the coil between the engaged loops on the springs and the embraced whirl or whirls of the said coil, substantially as set forth.

8. In a spring-bed or like spring structure made in sections, the combination, with the marginal rods of the two sections, having their extremities bent inward, as described, of a spiral coil of wire extending across the bed at the hinging-line and housing said extremities of the marginal rods, the springs, and a locking-rod extending longitudinally through said spiral coil and locking thereto the adjacent springs of the sections, the end rings of said springs looping over and embracing one or more whirls of the spiral coil, and the said locking-rod extending longitudinally through said coil betweenthe engaged portions of the end rings of the springs and the embraced whirl or whirls of said coil, the said coil and locking-rod being secured at their respective ends to the marginal rods of the sections.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID H. JEFFERY.

Witnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, J D. COPLINGER. 

